Improvement in snow-plows



2 Sheets-Sheetl B. W. HARRISON. Snow-Plow.

Patented June 10, I879.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. W. HARRISON.

' Snow-Plow. No. 216,272. Patented June 10,1879.

' u. PEIER& PNOTD-LITHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON, D c.

UNITED STATES/PATENT OFFICE.

EDLOW W. HARRISON, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

lM PROVEM ENT lN SNOW-PLOWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 216,272, dated June 10,1879; application filed April 23, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDLOW W. HARRISON, of Jersey City, in the county ofHudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Snow-Flows,

of which the following is a specification.

One of my improvements consists in the com bination, in a snow -plow, ofa share, hinged wings or covers, forming part of a mold-board, and anexcavator and elevator, to which access may be obtained on the openingof such wings or covers, whereby I provide a snowplow which, when usedto clear away snow which is too deep to be removed by the fore ing ofthe plow through it, can have the wings or covers swung back, so thatthe elevator may carry off the snow and deliver it in any suitablereceptacle or at the side of the track.

Another improvement consists in the combination, in a snow-plow, with anelevator and a steam-engine for operating such elevator, of a chute orreceptacle for receiving the snow from said elevator, having avibratorysurface and means for conducting steam exhausted from the steam-engineunder the vibratory surface of said receptacle, so that it may heat thesame, and as it puffs out impart to it a tremulous or jarring motion,whereby the snow may be readily discharged from the said receptacle atthe side of the plow.

Another improvement consists in the combination, with an excavator andelevator composed of an endless band or belt and buckets,

blades, or shovels thereon, of means for sup porting said buckets,blades, or shovels inde pendently of the band or belt, whereby thelatter is relieved from much of the strain usually exerted upon it, andhas only to draw the buckets, blades, or shovels alon Other improvementsconsist in. details of construction, to be hereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a plowembodying my invention, and having a portion of the side framework orcasing and part of the mold-board of the plow removed to showtheinterior. Fi 2 is a plan or top view of the same, with onehalf of thebelt removed to show the interior, one of the hinged wings or covers inposition to do the work of an ordinary plow, and the other open and inposition for using the machine as an excavator. Fig. 3 is a transversesection, looking forward from the line a w, Fi 1. Fig. etisalongitudiual section through the line y 3 Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a frontview of the plow, with one wing or cover in position for use as anordinary snow-plow, and the other open to admit of the use of theexcavator. Fi Gis a section through the linezz, Fig. 1. Fi 7 is a sideview of portions of the excavator, showing the construction of itsbuckets, blades, or shovels, the slides or wings upon which they travel,and the manner in which the buckets, blades, or shovels turn around theupper and lower drums.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

A designates a plowshare suitably shaped to turn a light body of snowaside from a railroadtrack. B B designate two wings or covers, which maybe formed of boiler-iron or other suitable material, and constitute apart of what may be termed a double mold-board, adapted, on entering abody of snow, to turn it on each side of a track. They are shown asbeing hinged atc to the mold-board proper, B, so that they may bebrought together, as shown in bold outline in Fig. 6, and bolted orlocked by suitable fastenings in order to form the point of a snow-plowsimilar in general form to those in common use, or so that they may beswung open, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6, and as one is shown inFigs. 2 and 5,

.and held in place by iron rods or other suitable braces in order toform a scoop for the collection of the snow.

0 is an excavator and elevator. D D are steam-engines, by which it isoperated, and E is a steam generator or boiler for supplying saidengines with steam. F is a discharging chute, formed with a doublebottom, a I), (see Figs. 3 and 4,) into the space left between which theexhaust-pipes of the engines 1) dis charge, as shown at G, Figs. 3 and4. The upper bottom, a, is made of sheet metal, or its equivalent-,so asto form a flexible surface, and the exhaust-steam, passing in puffs fromthe steam-engines into the space under this bottom a, is hot and impartsto it a tremulous vibratory movement, so that the snow will, as

it melts, glance or slide off the chute with facility. After leaving thechute the steam is discharged into a funnel or stack by the pipe H. (SeeFig. 4.)

The excavator and elevator consists of an endless belt of india-rubberor other suitable material, 0, provided with buckets, blades, or shovelsO, and running over revolving drums I I, motion being transmitted to thebelt, in this example of my invention, through the upper drum, 1.

J (see Figs. 1 and 6) are adjustable boxes fitting in slides andreceiving th e journal-boxes of the lower drum, I, screws f beingemployed in connection with said boxes to provide for adjusting them,and the drum supported by them in the direction of the length of thebelt,

so that the belt can be properly tightened.

In addition to the drums I I, 1 preferably employ i'rictionrollers K,(see Fig. 4,) to support the endless belt of the excavator and ele-Vator.

The buckets, blades, or shovels C of .the excavator and elevator (seeparticularly Figs. 6 and 7) are shown as flat, and may be formed of woodor metal. They are attached to the belt 0 by hinges, (shown at (1,) andin order to prevent them falling or pressing back against the belt whenat work they are provided with supports independent of the belt, such aselbow-like runners L, bearing upon slideways M, arranged at the sides ofthe said belt, or at the sides of the upper portions thereof, and at thesides of the drums therefor. (See particularly Fig. 7.) By this meansthe belt is relieved of the weight of the buckets, blades, or shovels,and supported at short distances. Moreover, as the buckets, blades, orshovels may thus be kept upright when connected only along a single lineto the belt, the danger of the shovels ripping the belt in its passageover the drums is very materially lessened.

N designates a casing inclosing the upper portion of the excavator, theengines, and generator or boiler. O designates wheels upon which theplow is to run, and P designates the cab and lookout of the plow.

The manner in which I prefer to operate the machine is as follows: Whena line of railway is blocked with snow the plow is to be placed in frontof a propelling-engine, with the wings or covers B closed. The plow onbeing propelled into the snow will push it aside with the same facilityas an ordinary large-sized snow-plow. On getting into a drift where thepropelling force of the engine will not suffice to force the plowonward, and the ordinary method of plowing fails, the wings or coversare to be thrown open and the enshare, mold-board, and chute may be suchthat snow may be delivered on either one or both sides of a track;

It will be seen that by my invention I provide a snow-plow that has thefunctions both of an ordinary snow-plow and an excavatorplow, and isvery useful and convenient, because it can be readily converted intoform for serving as either.

The excavator and elevator, or certain fea-- tures thereof, mayadvantageously be employed in various apparatus, as, for instance, grainconveyers, ore-breaking apparatus, &c.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination, in a snow-plow, of a share, hinged wings or covers,and an excavator and elevator, to which access may be obtained on theopening of such wings or covers, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

2. The combination, in a snow-plow, of a share, an excavator andelevator, and wings or covers forming part of the mold-board, andadapted, on bein opened, to aiford access to the excavator and elevator,to form a scoop for guiding snow to the excavator and elevator,substantially as specified.

3. The combination, in a snow-plow, with an excavator and elevator and asteam-engine for operating thelatter, of a chute or receptacle forreceiving the snow therefrom, having a surface and means for conductingthe steam exhausted from the engine under the surface of the chute orreceptacle, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4:. The combination, in an excavator and elevator, of a belt or band,buckets, blades, or shovels attached thereto, and elbow-like runnersextending from the buckets, blades, or shovels, and bearing againstslideways at the sides of the belt or band, substantially asand for thepurpose specified.

EDLOW W. HARRISON.

